A giclee (pronounced zhee-clay) refers to both a category of collectible fine art similar to lithographs and serigraphs, as well as a type of digitally created fine art print. However, not all digital prints are giclees- only prints that adhere to strict printmaking standards can be called a giclee.

The word "giclée" dates back to 1989 and is a french term roughly meaning "spray or squirt" which refers to the digital printing process. During printing, millions of microscopic droplets of ink per second are applied to the print media. The best giclee printers provide 1,800 dpi resolution and blend as many as eight colors of ink.

A giclee is a high-end fine art print recognized as "the next best thing to owning the original, or in the case of certain art created by digital artists, each giclee is an "original". Giclee's can be found on display in the world's finest museums and art galleries, often they can be hard to distinguish from originals.

Giclee defined. Our definition of a giclee is, "A fine art print created by a printmaker adhering to strict standards that utilizes special high resolution digital equipment throughout the workflow process leaving no evidence of the technology used while providing archival quality consistent with that of a collectible fine art print."


Are All Giclee's The Same?

No. Like any craft or trade, there are different levels of expertise and equipment at any given shop. The best, longest lasting giclee's are made by craftsman who are masters of their trade and work with the finest equipment available.

Speaking of equipment, we specialize in 8 color printmaking. Unlike other shops which use only 4 or 6 colors of ink- our equipment uses 8. With the extra colors of ink, we're able print more colors and better detail.


A Master Printmaker

We believe an apprentice giclee printmaker should train under a Master Printer for a minimum of four years and have hands-on participation in the reproduction of 300+ different paintings. A Master Printer is someone with the utmost skill and is recognized by his peers as such.

Master Printmaker and digital artist, Chris Gibbs, of Originals Digital Color has been crafting giclee prints since 1996. He is one of the most experienced, capable and tech-savvy giclee printmakers you'll find. With an artists keen eye for color and a knack for making prints look great--- he's often complimented by artists claiming, "The prints look better than the original". Over the years, Chris has worked directly with worldwide manufacturers researching and testing various inks and media to find the best combinations to produce the most stunning and longest lasting prints possible. Additionally, he is a founding member of the Giclee Printers Association and has worked to develop standards and guidelines for the rest of the giclee industry.


Why Giclee Makes Sense

Working Capital. The initial cost to bring an edition to the marketplace as a giclee is a fraction of the cost to produce lithographs or serigraphs. Instead of just one painting, you can afford to print several paintings.

Print On Demand. With digital printmaking, you can order on demand and purchase prints as you need them vs. all at once. Order one, a few, several or many-you decide, however, discounts apply to volume orders.

Better Prints. Giclee prints provide noticeably better print quality and longer lasting prints.

Flexibility. You have many options available, such as being able to fill special requests for extra big or smaller prints, hand embellishing or customizing.


10 Reasons To Choose Giclee

1. Really High Quality Prints. Prints with rich beautiful color, painterly detail and quality that makes prints hard to distinguish from originals.

2. Save Money. Giclee is a fraction of the cost to produce lithographs or serigraphs.

3. Print What You Need. Print all at once or one at a time - you decide.

4. Archival Prints. Giclee's last longer. Typical print life is several decades-much longer than lithographs and photographs.

5. Artist Materials. Choose real artist materials such as canvas or textured watercolor papers.

6. Small Limited Editions. Giclee makes small limited editions of 1-500 economically feasible.

7. Color. Giclee's can reproduce more colors than traditional printmaking techniques.

8. Flexibility. Ability to react to special orders and situations.

9. Bring More Editions To Market. You can allocate your financial investment to bring several artworks to the market vs. just one.

10. Offer The Best. Sell prints that both you and the customer can be proud of.


Also check out our FAQ page.